The British Museum, London, UK

ARCHLAB Available facility: BM Databases, scientific records and sample & reference collections

ARCHLAB access is offered within the Department of Conservation and Scientific Research, which is located on the British Museum site in Bloomsbury, central London.
The records held by the Department relate to a wide range of objects and material classes, including stone, metals, minerals, textiles, ceramics, glass, paper, paintings, basketry, gemstones, wood, enamels, etc., from every period from prehistory to the present and from most major cultures. In addition, the reports include studies of conservation materials, conservation procedures and assessments for preventive conservation purposes. Researchers will be based either in the Science Library or Conservation Library, depending on the nature of access.
ARCHLAB access will be to five major types of data held by the Museum/Department:

1. Merlin database: the British Museum’s central curatorial database, containing records for nearly two million objects. ARCHLAB access will be to the internal version of the database, which is more comprehensive and up-to-date than that offered for general public access as ‘Collections Online’ through the Museum’s website
2. Conservation Merlin: the central database containing all records of conservation treatments to British Museum objects since the system was introduced. Older conservation records not yet transferred to the electronic system will be accessible through ARCHLAB. This database is not currently accessible outside the British Museum.
3. Mellon Scientific Research Database (MRSD) : a new database, created in 2009, containing electronic versions of all analytical reports and many of the project reports spanning the last seventy years. Reports that are not yet available electronically will be available in hard copy.
4. Primary image and spectral data: the British Museum’s central image database (Digital Assets Database) contains all digital images associated with museum objects, as well as images associated with particular projects. Access will also be offered to primary images (including micro- and macro-images, multispectral images, X-radiographs, etc. in both digital and analogue formats) and data (including Raman, IR, XRF, XRD, etc. data in a variety of formats) generated within the Department, mostly relating to the project reports held by the Department.
5. Sample and reference collections: several collections of samples from museum objects and of comparative reference materials are held within the Department. Sample collections include polished and thin sections of glass, metals, wood, ceramics, stone and paint. The comparative reference collections span metallurgy, ceramic and stone petrography, environmental archaeology, and other fields relevant to the collection.

Please note that access will not be granted to two important categories of records held by the Department:

• Data relating to the examination or analysis of objects not in the British Museum collections.
• Data in the course of publication.

Under CHARISMA project the British Museum will be offering approximately 54 days of access, which are expected to equate to approximately 12 projects.

Provider’ general information:

BM

Website address:

WELCOME DESK Contact Person:

Name: Dr David Saunders Keeper of Department